A new tree nursery has opened in Cumbria to help create a future temperate rainforest in the Lake District.
The facility, at The Lake District Wildlife Park in Bassenthwaite, is part of a network of nurseries across the county where native trees are being grown for Skiddaw Forest.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust is setting up the network to grow 600,000 trees as part of a 100-year vision.
The Bassenthwaite site is funded by the Ecological Restoration Fund and supported by Altrad.
Around 60 people attended a recent opening event, which included a tour of the polytunnels and raised beds and an unveiling of a new wooden sign.
Other community nurseries have opened at Victoria Wood Nursery in Kendal, Cold Springs Nature Reserve in Penrith, and Gosling Sike in Houghton.
The charity is also working with Forests With Impact at HMP Haverigg.
Isaac Johnston, Skiddaw Forest project officer, said: “It’s great to formally open this new tree nursery, which we’ve been busy setting up over the past six months or so. Huge thanks to the Ecological Restoration Fund and other donors who have made this possible.
“Thank you to The Lake District Wildlife Park, for hosting our tree nursery on this amazing spot, just a stone’s throw from Skiddaw, and to Altrad, whose staff have helped to build the nursery’s raised beds.
“This tree nursery is a community resource and we’re looking forward to working with lots of volunteers who’ll be collecting native seeds in local woodlands, while others will be doing the crucial job of nurturing the saplings here in the nursery, so that they’re ready to plant out on Skiddaw in about a year’s time.”
Mr Johnston added that planting seeds from local trees would ensure the young saplings had the best chance of surviving on the exposed upland slopes.
He said familiar species, including crab apple, oak, elm, cherry and hazel, would be planted lower down, while downy birch, juniper and montane willows would be planted at higher altitudes.
The charity bought the Skiddaw Forest nature reserve after securing £5 million through a partnership with Aviva and raising £1.25 million from the public, alongside additional support from charitable funders.
The project will see 3,000 acres of habitat restored, including just over 1,000 acres of peat bog and the creation of 620 acres of temperate rainforest.
Cumbria Wildlife Trust said: “Temperate rainforests are wet, wonderful places full of life. The trees that grow there include sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow, and hazel. What really makes a temperate rainforest special is the rich tapestry of life that grows on and around the trees, such as mosses and lichens.
“Temperate rainforests are also excellent stores of carbon, from their rich soils, to the trees and plants growing within them, which lock it up as they grow. With benefits for wildlife and carbon, it’s imperative this special habitat is restored to help us tackle the nature and climate crises.”
